December 23, 2016 AsktheBuilder Christmas Message

It's a glorious bluebird day here in central NH. The sun has been up for about 30 minutes or so.

Two days ago, the Winter Solstice happened about ninety minutes before sunrise. It's my favorite day of the year because after that point, there's more daylight each day if you live north of the Equator.

I want to first wish you a very Merry Christmas. It's going to be a good one here at the Carter house.

This past week Kathy has been baking all of her traditional cookies and other delicacies and I've been loitering around the kitchen telling her that we should "test" everything to ensure there's no poison in anything.

After forty-two years of marriage, she wasn't buying what I was selling. Every now and then she'd relent and allow me to have a warm and moist cookie or pastry fresh out of the oven.

One of my absolute favorite pastries she makes is a date bar recipe that's to die for.

Then there's the ginger cookies and the buckeyes. This year I suggested that we double dip the buckeyes and even make little rolls or peanut butter cylinders instead of round balls.

That went over like a lead balloon. I'm going to try making a batch myself.

Next week I'm going to take a day off and drive down to Mordor. That's what we call Boston around here. If you've driven around Boston, then you might understand why that name is appropriate.

I'm going to do a day of amateur radio *activating*, hopefully, at least four - if not five - National Park properties in and around Boston. I'm participating in the National Parks on the Air event. Click that link to understand what an *activator* does.

Right now, I'm the top activator in New Hampshire with a slim lead of just one! I've activated seventeen National Park units and the #2 radio operator has done sixteen. I want to make sure I end up on top as the event ends next Saturday at 6:59 pm Eastern Time.

If you live in and around Boston and want to try to do a fast meet up, let me know and I'll see if we can pull it off. I'm thinking that I'm going to come down next Thursday or Friday.

What's Happening in 2017?

Next week I'll spend a few days doing lots of planning for 2017.

Here's the first order of business:

Publish my Roofing Ripoff expose' book. I should have that ready for you no later than the third week of February.

If you've got a newer, say less than three-year-old asphalt shingle roof, then you absolutely need this book. Your asphalt roof is falling apart before your eyes - see all those granules tumbling off the roof? - and I have a magic thing you can do to make your roof last for decades instead of the six or seven more years you'll maybe get out of it.

If you're going to be installing a new roof in the spring, you NEED this book. You want to get the best shingles and you also need my magic discovery.

It will be available as a .pdf download, on Amazon Kindle and as a paperback.

I'm also going back into the small eBook publishing business. I need your help and you'll see a survey just after January 1st. The survey will allow you to take partial ownership of this new project.

I want YOU to tell ME what you want me to help you with.

I've decided that you, and especially the millennials, might need small picture and video eBooks showing you how to do simple and intermediate repair jobs around your home.

Do you agree? I'm going to do ten free ones to start. I'll want your feedback on the first few to get the format just right.

The next big thing for 2017 is a huge deal that's just starting to come to fruition. I can't tell you much about it at this point, but here's what you need to know.

If this deal happens, you're going to see LOTS more of me and the deal will provide the much-needed resources I've wanted for about the past fifteen years to EXTRACT much of the accumulated knowledge in my brain so it can be used by you to save time and money.

That's confusing and cryptic isn't it? But hang with me.

You're going to be able to HELP me make this deal come true.

How?

Just after the first of the year, I'm going to ask you to go to a local store in your city or town and purchase something. It's an astounding product and it's not expensive. I guarantee you it's something you can use around your home.

I'm also going to ask you to take the time to find the store manager or the owner and tell her / him something.

If you do these two things, then you'll set the wheels in motion to make the deal happen that much faster.

Stay tuned for all these exciting things!

2017 could quite possible be the best year for both you and me.

Let's make it happen together!

Please have a great Christmas with your friends and family. I know I'm going to do that.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and once again I ask that you watch the following video (click the link just below) and listen oh so closely to what Old Rose says to the explorer after he lets the Heart of the Ocean necklace slip through his fingers.

The words Old Rose speaks should be your touchstone for this Christmas and the rest of your life.

CLICK HERE.

Once again, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'll be back next week with more news and home improvement tips!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

HO HO HO!

Do It Right, Not Over!

Majestic Fireplace Customer Service

Majestic Fireplace Customer Service | The orange arrow points to the gaps that Davey is talking about. NEVER do a modified change or install with fireplaces. ALWAYS contact the manufacturer to see about how the device should be installed. DON'T guess or HOPE you're doing things right. © 2016 Tim Carter via Davey's perpetual permission to use his photo

Majestic Fireplace Customer Service

Davey lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Yesterday, he wrote me the following:

"I have a small townhouse with a corner fireplace (zero clearance) in the basement that was built 33-years-ago.

The seven years we've lived here we've always known there's cold air coming in from behind the fireplace.  Finally, I cut open the drywall and found where the cold air is coming in.

I have a Majestic MBC36 fireplace and where the chute (part CF815) meets the top of the fireplace is where the cold air comes in.  There are several long oval shaped holes between the chute and the fireplace, they are inside the chute but exposed where I can see them.

Is this an installation fail?  Somehow it feels like the chute is short by an inch and half that's why the holes are exposed.  Should I seal the "holes" with foil duct tape or do I need a gasket type of seal?

I get so much cold air it spills into the living space above and also make the flooring above really cold!

I have searched just about all your fireplace articles to make sure I didn't ask a duplicate question.

Thank you very much!"

I immediately responded that he should NOT apply flammable duct tape and that he should reach out and contact Majestic to see about talking with one of their engineers.

When dealing with fireplaces like this is necessary to always install them according to all written installation instructions. Davey might be able to find the old installation manual online at the Majestic Fireplace website.

If not, he - and you - need to CONTACT the manufacturer directly. Don't trust a third party in situations like this.

Davey got back with me the next day. Here's what he sent:

"Hi Tim,

Thanks for the prompt reply! I was pleasantly shocked!

Yes, I have actually tried to contact Majestic but they are so mysterious!  There's is no address or phone number or email on their website!  In fact, they openly say they don't deal with end users and that we should contact an authorized dealer. 

So that's what I will do.  This will be added to the list of things that were done wrong since day one (33 yrs) most likely by the lowest bidder. 

Thanks again!"

I run into the same problem Davey does on an increasingly frequent basis. Companies don't want to be contacted.

I'm sure there are numerous reasons, but no doubt they all are related to money and extra cost. Instead of running away from problems, I feel companies should SPRINT towards them. This is true with products that are directly or indirectly related to life safety.

Imagine if Davey had not reached out to me, Majestic ignores him or a low-paid employee at a Majestic dealer tells Davey, "Sure, tape over that gap." What happens if somehow that tape catches on fire and burns down Davey's house killing him, his family and his pets?

Are you a manufacturer? It's time you figure out a way to have stellar customer service and answer questions like Davey's without even thinking twice about it.

Slab vs Crawl Space Cost

Quick Summary:

  • Compare slab to crawl space wood floor cost
  • Pros and Cons of slab
  • Pros and Cons of crawl space wood floor

Karen lives in Saint Cloud, Florida. She emailed me the following:

"I would like to build a home that is about 600 sq ft with 1000 sq ft roof to cover the front patio and side carport. Would it be less expensive to pour a concrete slab or a crawl space foundation?"

She's like many consumers and wants to know what different things cost for any number of reasons. In this case she wants to know the difference between a slab foundation and a home that has a crawl space with a wood subfloor.

Without definitive specifications, it's almost impossible to quote a price. For example, will the slab have reinforcing steel in it or not? It should so all shrinkage cracks stay hairline and don't spread.

What type of wood joists would be used? Regular dimensional lumber, engineered floor joists? Would the lumber be treated to be less appetizing for termites that congregate in the moist sub-tropical Florida environment? 

Does the lot slope and would a slab require lots of fill that costs money?

But before you get frustrated and stop reading, you can do some quick calculations to see how the chips may fall.

Here's the quick list of the major material items you need to calculate for a slab:

  • site preparation and fill
  • termite pretreatment
  • vapor barrier
  • type and amount of steel reinforcing
  • cubic yards of concrete - don't forget to check with local code officials to see if the edges of the slab need to be thickened for frost protection and bearing wall requirements

Here's the quick material list for a crawl space wood floor system:

  • site preparation for footer trenches
  • concrete for footer
  • reinforcing steel for footer
  • concrete block or poured concrete for crawl space walls
  • steel i-beam for floor joist support
  • wood joists and sill plates
  • wood subfloor
  • termite pretreatment
  • high-performance vapor barrier

You'll probably discover the crawl space wood floor system materials cost more than the slab foundation. The amount of concrete or masonry involved in the crawl space starts to approach the total cubic yards of concrete required for a slab foundation, especially if you do the right thing and fill the voids in the block walls with pea gravel concrete.

But wait, there's more - as is often said in an infomercial on late-night TV!

What are the benefits of a slab versus a crawl space wood floor system?

Slab Pros and Cons:

  • Cooler floor surface on hot days
  • Great solid surface for tile installation
  • Plumbing drain pipes inaccessible in future
  • Slab failure / settlement expensive to fix

Crawl Space Wood Floor Pros and Cons:

  • Termites will eventually eat the wood
  • Ceramic Tile requires special underlayments and FLAT floors
  • Cool floor if covered with tile
  • Complete access to all plumbing and any other mechanical systems in crawl space

You can see it's not an easy decision and there's a reason why many many floor systems in Florida and the South are concrete slabs.

December 20, 2016 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

I'm back. I've got a BUNCH of new home improvement tips below, but first you may want to know about a recent trip of mine.

First, if you're COLD and your furnace or boiler is not working right, CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from heating contractors to discover what in the heck is wrong with your system. HURRY before they get swamped on Christmas Eve!

I was in central and southern California for about eight days spending quality time with my oldest and youngest daughter, my son-in-law, and several very good friends.

Although I had time to do one of my acclaimed meet ups, I decided against it this trip because I didn't want to waste one moment with my youngest daughter.

The alternative ending from the movie Titanic is burned into my brain and I think about it each time I'm with my family. If you've not seen this ending, CLICK HERE.

Pay very close attention to what Old Rose says to the explorer, Mr. Lovett, after he lets go of the Heart of the Ocean necklace.

The next time I come to the Left Coast sans my daughter, I promise you we'll do a meet up.

The Hearst Castle and Zip Lines!

The first two days out in California I got to do two very fun things: a canopy zip-line tour high among the redwood trees and we went to the Hearst Castle. Here's a photo of Kelly and me walking across a slippery bridge suspended between two giant redwood trees. It's a long way down, believe me.

In the photo below, I'm in my bright blue Helly Hansen rain jacket zipping between two trees. It kept me dry and warm on this chilly rainy central California day! CLICK HERE to see more Helly Hansen rain gear!

The canopy tour was spectacular. It was raining and Kelly and I were the only ones crazy enough to go out. Well, our two guides - Josh and April - were with us too.

It was surreal to have the forest to ourselves as normally there could be six other tourists with you up on the tiny platforms well over 100 feet in the air that circle the redwood trees.

I highly recommend doing this canopy tour at Mt. Hermon Adventures near Santa Cruz, CA. They'll keep you safe as you float down the zip lines!

The day after enjoying the redwoods, Kelly and I drove from Morgan Hill, CA to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA.

It was very gray and foggy. Read about our amazing tour guide Shawn Harris. CLICK HERE to see the Castle, elephant seals and a stunning ceiling Shawn showed us. Then tell me in the comments below the column if you've met Shawn before while you were at the Castle.

If you want some great information about the Hearst Castle and William Randolph Hearst the business titan that built it, CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom to see all the fantastic books you can get.

CLICK HERE or the following image for GREAT Power Tools!

Extension Cord and Dimmer Switch SAFETY

I have two new columns I want you to read about electrical fires.

A close friend of mine who lives in southern California and his wife almost died from an electrical fire. They were lucky because they were in the room when the fire erupted in the electric switch box. If you were to talk to him, he just brushes it off. But I know better.

Many are not so lucky.

CLICK HERE to read about my lucky friend and his gorgeous wife who survived an electrical fire to talk about it. Wait until you see the PHOTOS of the dimmer switch that caught on fire.

Why do you think the dimmer switch overheated???? Click the above link to see if you're making the SAME MISTAKE!!!!

Do you scratch your head wondering if a certain extension cord is SAFE to use?

CLICK HERE and perhaps I can help you understand how to pick the correct one.

Preventing CRACKED Granite Countertops

Granite is very strong rock. I should know as I'm a college-trained geologist and granite is my favorite rock of all time!

But Linda sent me some photos of an insane granite top installation and she needed some advice.

CLICK HERE and see if you would have done what Linda's contractor did!

Cast Iron Plumbing Drain Pipes - Remove or Keep???

Did you know I'm a master plumber? I've been one for about 35 years. I held a City of Cincinnati Master Plumbers license for quite some time.

I LOVE installing plumbing pipes of all types, even threading black iron pipe.

Lanny came to me with an interesting question concerning a bathroom remodel job.

CLICK HERE to discover something I'll bet you didn't know about cast iron pipe!

CLICK HERE to watch a video of PVC drain and vent pipes I installed in a new home just a few months back.

That's quite enough for today wouldn't you say?

I'm sure you're busy with Christmas right around the corner.

CLICK HERE to shop at Amazon if you need LAST-MINUTE gifts!

I'll have a SPECIAL Christmas message for you on Friday.

Watch for it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you early in case you miss my Friday message.

If you don't celebrate Christmas, then I'm sure you understand that I'm trying to wish you well this time of year.

I refuse to allow the Spandex one-size-fit-all Christmas greeting to pass through my lips or fingertips.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Dimmer Switch Fire

dimmer switch fire

This switch looks somewhat normal, except for the soot around the edges. Wait until you see the back. ©2016 Tim Carter via anonymous friend contribution.

Dimmer Switch SAFETY TIPS

Plugged in Space Heater

Several weeks ago a very good friend of mine and his wife almost became a grim statistic compiled monthly by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He was trying to keep his wife warm in her home office and plugged a simple electric space heater into a wall outlet at her request.

Although it appeared to be a normal duplex wall outlet where you could plug in two cords, it was anything but normal. The outlet happened to be a split outlet. What's that? Keep reading as you probably have a few in your home.

My friend had a 50/50 chance of everything going just fine, but he chose poorly.

CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from electricians in your city or town to safely install a dimmer switch.

He plugged the heater into the one receptacle that happened to be controlled by a wall switch. The other half of the receptacle was wired directly to the circuit breaker and not controlled by a switch.

But it wasn't just any wall switch, it was a dimmer switch.

Switch on FIRE!

The instant current began to flow through the dimmer switch, it began to heat up.

Most common dimmer switches you install in a home have limited function. They can only handle about five amps or 600 watts.

The space heater my friend was using drew, at a minimum, 1200 watts!

CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from electricians in your city or town to inspect your wiring and switches now.

Heat From Unused Electric

Here's what you need to know about dimmer switches. If you turn the dimmer knob or use one with a slide control like the one you see above so the lights get dim, the current that was supposed to flow to the lights is kept in the dimmer and transformed into heat.

600 Watts Usually

But the heat sink in the dimmer can only handle so much current. Almost all dimmers come with a CAUTION warning on the back of the switch telling you that you should not have more than 600 watts flowing through the switch.

That only person who sees that warning is the electrician who installs the dimmer. Once the switch is in the electric box and the cover plate is on, regular people like you are oblivious to the danger.

dimmer switch back fire

You can see how much plastic burned. You can also see some of the letters from the CAUTION warning label. Dimmers are time bombs waiting for their next victim. (C) Copyright 2016 Tim Carter via anonymous friend who is still breathing along with his beautiful wife.

It didn't take long for the fire to start in the electric box. Within minutes of plugging in the heater and turning it on, my friend luckily saw small flames coming from the switch.

dimmer switch for LED and regular lights

Here's a dimmer switch for LED and regular lights. I believe it works for CFL bulbs to. CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO ORDER IT NOW.

Empty Room = Death

But what would have happened had both of them left the room? What would be the outcome had they gone to bed?

We both know what would have happened.

Be sure you never overload a dimmer switch.

NEW Technology Protects You From Dangerous Arcing

Are you terrified of burning up in an electric fire at your home? You can install in minutes a sophisticated device called Ting that plugs into an outlet in your home. Look below at the photo caption for a SPECIAL promo code. It connects to the Internet via WiFi. The device sends data about your electrical system to a company that monitors your entire home.

ting

This is the Ting Arcing monitor. It plugs into any outlet, connects to the Wifi in your home, and then starts to protect you, your family, and all your possessions. CLICK or TAP HERE for a Special Discount exclusive to Ask the Builder newsletter subscribers and website visitors. IMPORTANT: Use the promo code TIM10 (note UPPER CASE) at checkout for exclusive savings. Note that Tim Carter gets a very small commission from TingFire should you purchase using the above link. Tim only promotes products he trusts and uses in his own home.

An app on your smartphone allows you to check the condition of your home's wiring at any time. Here's a screenshot of the app on my phone showing all is well:

ting app

This is the home screen of the Ting App. The green bar at the top shows all is well. If Ting senses an issue in your home's wiring, you get an instant push notification on your smartphone app as you see above, the red #1 above Notifications. In addition, the Ting service center CALLS you on your phone should it detect hazardous arcing! In my case above, that notification told me that I had a minor power outage at my home. CLICK or TAP HERE to purchase one priced with a special AsktheBuilder discount. Don't forget to use the promo code: TIM10 for a big savings

Warning Label on Outlets

If you have outlets in your home in any room that are controlled by wall switches, PLEASE go to the outlet cover plate and use a RED Sharpie fine-point permanent marker and write a WARNING on the cover plate. You can write this:

If this outlet is controlled by a dimmer switch, do NOT plug in a heater, hair dryer or any other thing that draws more than 500 watts.

I suggest the 500 watts because you might as well have a slight margin of safety.

20-Amp Circuits

Electric space heaters should be plugged into circuits wired with 12 gauge cable that's rated for 20 amps. When I built my last home, that's all I used. I didn't have one piece of 14 gauge wire in my home. I refuse to use that size wire.

But remember, you can't mix and match cable sizes! Don't think you can add a piece of 20-amp 12-gauge cable or wire to an existing 15-amp circuit that is wired with 14-gauge cable! The amp rating for any given circuit is dependent on the SMALLEST SIZE cable in the circuit.

15-Amp Circuits

14-gauge wire is only rated for 1800 watts or 15 amps. 12-gauge wire is rated for 2,400 watts or 20 amps.

Are you worried about your dimmer switches? Are you wondering if you and your family are SAFE?

CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from electricians in your city or town. Let them come over and inspect your dimmers and circuits to make sure you don't die in an electrical fire.

Walk In Shower Drain

I'm a master plumber as well as a builder. Crazy but true. I've been one for over 35 years.

Gary, who lives in West Memphis, Arkansas, is remodeling his bathroom and has a question about walk-in shower drains.

"I removed a bath tube and going to install a walk in shower. Do I need to move the drain to the center or maybe just a little?"

Well Gary, it all depends.

If you have a pre-formed shower pan that has a drain hole in it, you need to work your magic to connect that drain hole to the existing plumbing drain lines.

If you're creating your own shower pan using a waterproof membrane, cement-mud floor, tile and or stone, then you might be able to make the existing drain location work.

Your big issue is that most tubs have a 1.5-inch drain line that branches to them.

Guess what? Most codes require you to run a 2-inch drain line to a shower.

Ouch......

If you're in over your head, then you can CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from plumbers in your area that can do the required rough in work.

 

Granite Top Supports

Granite Top Supports TIPS

DEAR TIM: My husband and I are just about at the end of an arduous and stressful kitchen remodel. Originally in the planning phase, the general contractor said we didn’t need a support under a long peninsula countertop made with solid granite. Now the field construction manager feels very uncomfortable with the 50 inches of unsupported granite that spans between a cabinet and two decorative posts at the end of the peninsula. I like the clean look we have now with no supports. How would you solve this problem? What suggestions do you have? Linda H., Broomfield, CO

DEAR LINDA: I’d like to think that you’ve come to the right place for advice because I’m cross trained in a few disciplines that converge in this situation. I feel we can solve your conundrum and keep everyone happy. But with most things, there’s going to have to be some compromise.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local countertop contractors in your city or town.

Geologist Builder Tim!

My college degree happens to be in geology and granite is by far my most favorite rock of all. I love everything about granite, most of all the varied colors and crystals you can get. Believe it or not, my house is built on what’s considered to be the most attractive rock in all of New England, the Meredith Porphyritic Granite.

This is the Meredith Porphyritic Granite next to my driveway. You can't see the huge orthoclase feldspar crystals in this wide view, but they're there! © 2016 Tim Carter

This stunning bedrock contains massive white feldspar crystals, some the size of giant cocktail shrimp, in a fine-grained black matrix. I have a huge block of this ledge exposed right next to my driveway.

I cut this rectangle using my diamond wet saw. It started out as a baseball-sized piece of the Meredith Porphyritic Granite. You can see the monster orthoclase feldspar crystals and the shiny mica too. © 2017 Tim Carter

Form vs Function

I’ve had discussions like yours with quite a few customers that focused on form versus function. That’s what we’re dealing with here. You mentioned that you’re attracted to the clean look of the current top with nothing underneath it. I respect that, but function is paramount in my mind.

My decades of job site experience cause me to look at situations like this differently. The vision I have in my head is not quite unlike the classic movie and play Scrooge where the main character gets to look into the future.

I see in your future a party at your house attended by quite a few teenagers and one of them decides to sit on the countertop at the center of the unsupported span! I also see some painter standing on the top because he’s too lazy to move his ladder. Both visions end up with large chunks of granite on your gorgeous hardwood kitchen floor.

This granite top is doomed for failure the moment someone decides to sit on it unless a support is put underneath it. © 2016 Linda Hewing Perpetual license to publish it granted to Tim Carter - AsktheBuilder.com by Linda

Granite is Strong One Way

You probably think that granite is extremely strong, after all, it’s granite! Just about every stone product, including artificial stone like concrete, is very strong in compression. This means if you squeeze it it requires thousands of pounds of force per square inch to cause a crack.

While your granite has great compressive strength, it’s very weak in tension. Tension is the opposite of compression. A stone is subjected to tension when it’s stretched. If you were to load the center of your granite peninsula countertop right now with a given amount of weight, the bottom of the granite starts to stretch or pull apart.

While I can’t say exactly what the tensile strength of your granite top is for its current thickness, it’s usually only ten percent of what it exhibits in compression. The bottom line is that your granite top could crack and tumble to the kitchen floor with as little as 100 or 150 pounds that’s loaded at the center of the 50-inch span.

Here's another view of Linda's countertop. That's a wide expanse of unsupported granite. How many pounds of weight loaded in the center do you feel it will take to crack the top? Enter your guess in the comments below. ©2016 Linda Hewing - Perpetual license to publish it granted to Tim Carter - AsktheBuilder.com by Linda

Repair Scenario?

I often talked to my customers about cost. What would it cost to replace a broken countertop? Would it be possible a year or two down the road to get a matching piece of granite? Remember, granite is a natural product and the colors, crystal structure, etc. can vary in the quarry. You may not even be able to get a matching slab six months from now much less two years from now.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local countertop contractors in your city or town.

I feel you need to install a support that runs down the center of the peninsula. It can be very narrow and provide the necessary bracing to prevent failure when someone loads the center of the top.

Support Options

Here are a few options that popped into my mind. I’m sure that a kitchen designer might have some additional ideas swirling about in her/his head.

You can purchase a thin sheet, no more than 1/8-inch thick, of plate steel that would be epoxied to the underside of the granite. It should really rest on the cabinet and the two legs supporting the granite. The steel doesn't have to extend to the edge of the granite top. It can be just 18 inches wide and do the job. After it's installed and the epoxy is cured, paint it a color that's close to the primary color of the top - or just flat black.

Tingler Trick?

A more complex solution was suggested by a friend of mine, Robert Tingler. He thought it could be a good idea to install a small steel beam down the center of the underside of the granite. It needs support at each end and it likely may be visible. This is my least-favorite option not because it won't work, but it's hard to incorporate into the cabinet and the two post supports at the end of the peninsula.

Nagler's Notion

Tim Nagler happened across this column after it was published. Here's how he'd solve the problem. "To keep the open look (your suggestions did not do this) why not support the top with two steel angles running parallel to the length.  A 1" x 1 1/2" angle would be invisible to someone over 5'-0" tall if the angle were back as little as six inches from the edge."

The simplest idea is to have a custom panel made that’s about an inch or so thick that matches the look of the two end posts at the corners of the peninsula. I see from the photo you provided there’s a recessed flat area in between the thicker material at the corners. This would provide you with the maximum space under the top in case you thought about putting low stools at the counter.

If you’re willing to give up a little more legroom space you can have a thin cabinet made that has glass doors on both sides. I see in your one photo that the cabinet facing your front door has glass doors so that you can see what’s in the cabinet. You might display decorative items in this narrow cabinet under the granite. With glass on both sides you’ll be able to see through and it would help preserve that clean look you like.

You might also have a narrow open bookcase installed under the granite. Many books are just six or eight inches deep and this would not take up too much space. The bookcase wouldn’t have to be packed full of cookbooks and if you do this, once again, there will be open space that helps satisfy your desire to keep the look sleek and simple.

You’ll not lose a moment of sleep once you have support under that granite. My vote, in case it counts, is to go with the thin cabinet with the glass doors. I’d put a bunch of my colorful granite rock samples in it!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local countertop contractors in your city or town.

Column 1175

Shawn Harris Hearst Castle Guide

On December 9, 2016, just before 11:30 am, my daughter Kelly and I were pulling into the parking lot at the Hearst Castle on the California coast.

We were in California for a week of vacation, visiting my older daughter and her husband and going to an epic Christmas open house down in Montrose, California.

It was a foggy day and the drive down from Morgan Hill, California offered scant views of the mighty Pacific ocean. When we did see the water and surf, it was dismal gray.

However it wasn't so foggy as to block the view of the ginormous elephant seals just north of our destination.

The elephant seals were sleeping, well some were. I'd hate to have one of these lay on me! (C) Copyright 2016 Tim Carter

A volunteer at the elephant seal viewing area obtained this vanity license plate. She has the same passion about seals that Shawn has for his job. (C) Copyright 2016 Tim Carter

I had been there before but it was Kelly's first time. Unbeknownst to us, we were to about to hit the lottery when it comes to tour guides.

In just ninety minutes we were going to be paired up with Shawn Harris to tour the expansive cottages and the kitchen of the Castle.

The fog got worse as the tour progressed. If you've never been to the Hearst Castle, put it at the top of your bucket list. It will take your breath away. (C) Copyright 2016 Tim Carter - Image published in order to raise awareness of Hearst Castle and to encourage you to visit to help preserve this national treasure.

I've been led on lots of guided tours at many historic locations, but never have I been captivated as I was by Shawn's stories, quotes and facts about William Randolph Hearst and his family.

It's said that if you practice something enough you get pretty good at it.  I'll add that it helps to have a passion for the thing as well. Your experience on the tour is off the charts should you have Shawn as your guide.

Think back to what you were doing in 1979. Shawn was just arriving at San Simeon and the Hearst Castle to start his first day of work at this national treasure. I'll do the math for you. It was thirty-seven years ago. 

See that smile on Shawn's face? It's not a fake one. This is a man that was destined to be a tour guide at the Hearst Castle. (C) Copyright 2016 Kelly Carter

I'd never met Shawn before. I'm not related to him and I'm only writing this because I feel his family and friends need to know about his love for the Castle and all things in it. You could feel that while he sprinkled tasty morsels of little-known facts about the construction and back story of the Castle.

How strong is his passion for the Castle? What if I told you that he still visits the library within the Castle to glean facts from books and other resources. I'm quite sure Shawn is hunting for facts, figures and little-known facts that he can use to mesmerize you when you follow him around the grounds.

 

Can you imagine what it takes to create a ceiling like this? Are there master craftsmen alive today that can do it? You can see Shawn answering a question from one of the other visitors. (C) Copyright 2016 Tim Carter - Image published in order to raise awareness of Hearst Castle and to encourage you to visit to help preserve this national treasure.

If you're going to visit the Hearst Castle, I urge you to try to see about arranging to meet Shawn. See if you can't make it that he's your guide. Perhaps see if you can get a special VIP tour with just you and your friends. Better yet, see if you can have dinner with Shawn down in Cambria and have him tell you some tales over a glass of wine.

Shawn, bravo my friend! Mr. Hearst would be so proud of you and what you do each day at the Castle.

CLICK HERE to get more information and to purchase tickets to visit the Hearst Castle.

Matching Heat Pump with Generator

ac units HVAC York A/C Tim's

Matching Heat Pump With Generator

Sheryl lives in Charlotte, NC.

She's got a unique issue with her heating system. Let her tell you all about it.

"I have a very old generator which is not matched with the heat pump that was installed in my two-story town home in 2008. All works well with cooling and heating, but upstairs gets all the heat in winter.

I'm thinking of installing a Carrier Infinity 16 SEER unit however I've been told that I can't do up and downstairs zoning because my duct work is in the flooring.   The downstairs has vents in ceilings. The bedrooms on second floor have vents in floor.

This problem home was built in 1970 with old ductwork. If I replace the heat pump and generator to match, how could I have new duct work installed to make the equipment run optimally since there are probably lots of leaks etched in the old duct work. I was told by one installer that duct work in Florida can not be upgraded. Can you help me out? Thank you so much."

Well, Sheryl, you've got me pretty confused! You said you live in North Carolina, but then you mention Florida ductwork! Alas, I don't feel that's an issue.

There are many houses that have vents and ductwork blowing forced heat and cooling down from the ceiling that work fine. All the houses I built for all my customers, and even my own home, had the vents in the floor blowing up.

Even if there are tiny leaks in the joints of the ductwork, that air is still within the house envelope and it's not really being wasted to a large degree.

The point is, you can have a comfortable house with vents in either location.

I feel the biggest issue is that you've not taken the time to get THREE independent bids. You MUST DO THAT.

CLICK HERE to get FREE bids from local HVAC contractors.

When they come, do NOT tell them what the other ones have already told you.

Print out the following and hand it to each contractor that shows up:

Bid Specifications:

  • One Carrier Infinity or York equivalent heat pump with a SEER rating of 16 or better
  • Perform new heat gain/ heat loss calculation to make sure that enough heating and cooling Btus are making it to each room
  • Provide recommendations as to what needs to be done to make sure each room is within 2 degrees of the thermostat setting
  • If new ductwork is required, please provide a simple drawing of the new ductwork layout including sizes of duct and trunk lines

Let me know what all the contractors say. The professional contractors will LOVE the specifications you print out above. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one says, "Are all the other contractors providing you with this information?" The reason they'll say that is because then they know their bid will be taken seriously.

If you’re interested in learning more about cost estimates for heat pump replacement I have an article here.

If a contractor REFUSES to give you all the information above, that tells you they're not professional.